Augustus II of Stolz
Augustus II '(1703 - Present) is the Habsburg King-Elector of Stolz, Holy Roman Emperor and King in Germany. He also rules Naples, Hungary, Austria, Parma, Savoy, Upper Burgundy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland since the death of his father, Francis IV. Reign of Ferdinand VI - ''His Royal Highness, Archduke Augustus Charles Augustus II was born on the 6th of May, 1703, at Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. He was the son of Archduke Francis, who was the grandson and heir to the elderly Ferdinand VI, the Holy Roman Emperor and King-Elector of Stolz. Augustus' birth was quite humble, with only a few of the high nobility and Ferdinand VI in attendance. A small ball was put on in celebration the following night, with a few cannon salutes across the Habsburg dominions. Ferdinand VI, now in his 76th year, had grown rather frail in the years preceding Augustus' birth. In essence, the Archduke Francis was ruling the state as a technical regent, though this was never made official. The Royal Family were very pleased with the birth of the new Archduke, as it cemented the line of succession further. One, however, who was not pleased, was the Archduke Joseph. Archduke Joseph was Augustus' uncle, and he was counting on Archduke Francis having no children so he could take a clear path to the throne. In turn, Joseph was always hostile to Augustus up until the former's death. Augustus held a pleasant relationship with his parents. His mother, though not his tutor, would often try to mentor the young Augustus in the ways of the Holy Roman Empire and how to rule. He was also appointed a governess and a tutor, his governess would be the Countess of Tyrol and his tutor would be the Duke of Anhalt. He would receive an excellent education, learning the military arts, mathematics, government, literacy, languages and writing, amongst other topics. Augustus was also taken under the wing of the elderly Ferdinand VI, who told him stories of his own reign and taught him about the ways of the court and diplomacy. Augustus, somewhat impressionable in his youth, was also easily influenced by the Court Chaplain, the Prince-Bishop of Vienna, who wished to influence the future ruler into giving more power away to the church. Ferdinand VI, his great-grandfather, fell ill in late 1708, the old man, in his 81st year, seemed to be on his last legs. The court worried, as did the Royal Family, as Archduke Francis was commonly seen within the court as an incompetent person, someone who would not rule the Habsburg dominions effectively. These worries would end up resulting in a rocky succession, with many generations of noblemen and peasants alike had grew up only used to the rule of the Emperor Ferdinand. Reign of Francis IV - His Royal Highness, the Archduke Augustus Ferdinand VI, after a two month illness, died on the 22nd of October, 1708. The day started as any other would, with the court rising and beginning the usual courtly routine at Schonbrunn. However, behind the scenes, the Holy Roman Emperor was being seen by physicians and the Court Chaplain. As the clock struck two, the court were called into the King's chambers. The 5-year-old Augustus went with his parents, joining them at the bedside of the elderly and slowly dying King. King Ferdinand VI's final words were; "be friends, not enemies" ''and with that, he passed away. Now, upon the death of Ferdinand VI the Great, Archduke Francis succeeded to the throne, now making Augustus first in line to the Stolzian throne. On the same day as the death of Ferdinand VI, the Imperial Electors, long under the influence of Stolz, elected the new King Francis IV to be the next Holy Roman Emperor. Many in the court were unsure of the succession at first, causing quite a bit of unrest. In 1711, under the influence and insistence of the Prince-Bishop of Vienna, Stolz began a war against Bavaria based on their claims in Southern Bavaria. Francis IV was at first indignant towards the war, not believing it to be a good investment or to be worth the money it would cost to fund the army during the war. Francis had a keen mind for economy and he had concerns over the financial state the war would leave Stolz in. Stolz was by no means a poor country, and it could have easily afforded the war. This was an example of Francis IV's recorded anxiety and indecisiveness, which left his reputation as a weak monarch imprinted into the history books. The Stolzian Army marched straight into the Bavarian capital with little to no resistance from the Bavarian Army, which had retreated into vast forests of the north. After the Bavarian capital was fully occupied by Stolz, the army went in search of other key cities and strongholds to take control of. After 9 months of taking control of key areas, a large battle took place near the town of Memmingen. This was a decisive victory for Stolz, and ended with them winning the war. Meanwhile, unrest was brewing at home. Many peasants, unhappy with the rule of Francis IV, believing him to be weak, indecisive and unfit, began to form movements designed to dethrone Francis and replace him with his son, Archduke Augustus. If this were to succeed, however, a regency would need to be put in place, as the young boy was not yet of age. A rebel movement, named ''"Truth" ''began to gain momentum in Vienna. The movement was started by one, Johann Kreiger, who was not only unhappy with Francis IV's unstable government, he was also unhappy with the privileges and influence of the nobility in general. He had liberal and democratic ideas, ideas which in Stolz would be shunned and could earn you a trip to prison or even death. The rebellion was mostly ignored at first, but as it began to spread, it became more of a widespread issue. The rebel army eventually rose up in revolt and marched into Vienna in 1715. The army, still returning from Bavaria, heard of the news and began to do a fast march toward Vienna. As the rebel armies rose up and entered Vienna, the court at Schonbrunn was almost defenceless as the army had not yet arrived in Vienna. However, the Imperial Guard regiments still stationed at the palace were able to hold off the rebels for some hours as the court was now practically prisoner in Schonbrunn. For the first time, being powerless with the situation in his own nation, drove Francis IV over the edge. The King suffered a minor mental breakdown, while Archduke Augustus was taken and hidden in his chambers, where he could not be witness to the ongoing violence. His mother hid with him in his chambers, being a great comfort to the young child. The army had entered the outskirts of Vienna by this time, the rebels being unaware of how close the army was getting. The army ambushed the rebels outside the gates of Schonbrunn, the court looking through the palace's windows in horror as the now named ''Battle of Schonbrunn ''unfolded before them. Resulting in a great loss of life, the battle was won by the army, with their vastly larger numbers. Marriage Augustus was arranged to marry Marie Elisabeth de France, a French princess and great-granddaughter of King Louis XIV as well as the elder sister of King Louis XV, which established an alliance between Stolz and France. She took the name Maria Elisabeth, a Germanic version of her name. She was brought to Vienna and the marriage took place on the 23rd of January, 1722 when Augustus was 19. The marriage was a spectacularly organised ceremony. The Royal Procession was followed by carriages of noblemen with crowds entering the streets of Vienna with cheers. The marriage ceremony was a solemn service at Stephansdom Cathedral. Afterwards, the procession was followed by the cheering crowds to Schonbrunn, where a large ball was held. A fireworks show was arranged and was watched by many thousands. This marriage was a relatively cordial one, being a friendly relationship. They'd have 6 children, two of which died young. Augustus was by no means faithful, having multiple illegitimate children, though this was to be expected of someone of his rank. Personal Reign - ''His Imperial Majesty, the Holy Roman Emperor Augustus's father, Francis IV, fell ill with smallpox in 1724. Augustus, heir to the throne, had to begin to prepare for his own reign when his father's condition seemed to be without hope. Francis IV finally collapsed in his chambers on the 23rd of July 1724, the entire court being called into his chambers. Francis IV's final words were to his heir, Augustus, saying ''"Rule strongly, and do not follow my example, for it will lead you down the wrong path." ''Francis IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King-Elector of Stolz, died on the 23rd of July 1724. This succession was more of a peaceful one than that of Francis IV's succession after Ferdinand VI. Many were happy with this succession, seeing Augustus as more of a capable ruler. The electors, still vastly influenced by Stolz, elected Augustus as the Holy Roman Emperor. His coronation as King of Stolz and the Habsburg Dominions and Holy Roman Emperor took place jointly on the 12th of January 1725. It was a long, solemn and grand occasion which all served to show the grandeur of the new Emperor. The coronation was attended by most princes, dukes and rulers of the Holy Roman Empire states, as well as representatives of the King of France and representatives of the Russian Emperor, as well as other European monarchs. One of the first actions of Augustus during his reign was to prioritise diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of France, with whom he had an alliance. This prioritisation of French relations was so that Stolz could manipulate France. At the beginning of his reign, Augustus was the King of Stolz, Naples, the Netherlands, Belgium, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Savoy, Parma and Upper Burgundy. Later in his reign, he also became Duke of Switzerland and King of Hungary. Augustus has been labelled as one of the most powerful men in Europe, with the Habsburg Dominions, Holy Roman Emperor and a large military. Augustus II led the Empire and Stolz into a war against Poland over a disagreement of ownership of territories in 1755. The war was long and difficult and ended up as a stalemate for most of the years of the war. In 1758, the armies of the allies pushed forward into Poland and defeated them in the first major land battle of the war in the Battle of Krakow. This was a resounding victory, and the Stolzian army marched into Warsaw. In late 1758, the Polish surrendered and Stolz was given the territories, as well as war reparations. Issue * Archduke Charles Ferdinand of Stolz '(12th March 1723 - 14th January 1724) * Archduchess Arabella Elisabeth of Stolz (24th April 1724 - Present) * Archduchess Maria Antoina of Stolz (14th July 1725 - Present) * Archduke Francis Joseph of Stolz (12th October 1727 - Present) * Archduchess Maria Theresa of Stolz (27th November 1728 - 3rd December 1728) * Archduke Johann Augustus of Stolz (3rd February 1730 - Present) Titles and Styles * '''6th May 1703 - 22nd October 1708: '''His Royal Highness, Archduke Augustus Charles * '''22nd October 1708 - 23rd July 1724: '''His Royal Highness, the Archduke Augustus * '''23rd July 1724 - Present: '''His Royal Majesty, the King-Elector of Stolz * '''23rd July 1724 - Present: '''His Most Imperial Majesty, the Holy Roman Emperor * '''23rd July 1724 - Present: '''His Majesty, the Sovereign of the Habsburg Dominions Augustus' full style is; ''"By the Grace of God, Augustus II, Elected Holy Roman Emperor, forever August, King-Elector of Stolz, King in Germany, King of Naples, King of Belgium and the Netherlands, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of the Two Sicilies, Archduke of Austria and Switzerland, Duke of Milan, Duke of Parma and Savoy, Duke of Anhalt, Brunswick, Luxembourg and Upper Burgundy, Rightful Sovereign of all the Hereditary Habsburg Dominions."